Abstract
Plant organ shape is determined by the spatial-temporal expression of genes that control the direction and rate of cell division and expansion, as well as the mechanical constraints provided by the rigid cell walls and surrounding cells. Despite the importance of organ morphology during the plant life cycle, the interplay of patterning genes with these mechanical constraints and the cytoskeleton is poorly understood. Shapes of harvestable plant organs such as fruits, leaves, seeds and tubers vary dramatically among, and within crop plants. Years of selection have led to the accumulation of mutations in genes regulating organ shapes, allowing us to identify new genetic and molecular components controlling morphology as well as the interactions among the proteins. Using tomato as a model, we discuss the interaction of Ovate Family Proteins (OFPs) with a subset of TONNEAU1-recruiting motif family of proteins (TRMs) as a part of the protein network that appears to be required for interactions with the microtubules leading to coordinated multicellular growth in plants. In addition, SUN and other members of the IQD family also exert their effects on organ shape by interacting with microtubules. In this review, we aim to illuminate the probable mechanistic aspects of organ growth mediated by OFP-TRM and SUN/IQD via their interactions with the cytoskeleton.
Highlights
Plant organs display remarkable phenotypic diversity among and within species
Members of the IQ Domain (IQD) family have been found to interact with calmodulin (CaM) as well as microtubule binding proteins Kinesin Light Chain-Related protein-1 (KLCR1) and SPR2 to regulate microtubule structure based on external auxin and calcium inputs (Burstenbinder et al, 2013, 2017a,b; Wendrich et al, 2018; Yang et al, 2018)
Assuming round shape as the default, the down regulation of ovate family protein (OFP) would lead to the association of more Tonneau1 Recruitment Motif (TRM) to the microtubules and elongated shape
Summary
Plant organs display remarkable phenotypic diversity among and within species. Especially for cultivated crops, selection for the harvestable organs has led to greatly increased size and variable shapes of the produce. The classification of varieties of the same crop based on morphological descriptors is critical Organizations such as the Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants and the International Plant Genetic Resources Institute (IPGRI) developed descriptors of the shape of many vegetables and fruits such that varieties can be distinguished from one another. These descriptors have become the framework for the identification of genes underlying the morphological variation in crops like tomato (Brewer et al, 2006; Rodriguez et al, 2011a). Important for grains, the slender rice grain shape is associated with improved transparent appearance and reduced undesirable grain quality and is, highly sought-after in certain cuisines (Calingacion et al, 2014; Harberd, 2015)
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